"Great Hiatus", represents the three year period of time when Holmes was presumed dead at Reichenbach Falls but triumphantly returned in The Adventure of the Empty House. It also refers to the momentary respite you'll take from every day life. This English blend of Virginias, Orientals, and plenty of Latakia is reminiscent of the early English blends that are hard to come by these days. Don't believe it... see for yourself.

The tin scent of Great Hiatus is that of a heavy Latakia blend offering deep campfire notes. Arriving at the perfect moisture level for me, it was immediately ready to smoke. Despite the strong smell of Latakia, the flavor of the Oriental component comes to the forefront offering a wonderful creamy note. My guess is that there is some Smyrna in GH. By mid bowl, the Latakia takes over, but still leaves room for the other tobaccos. The Virginias offer some sweetness too. There is a spice note that builds throughout the bowl. My tin was a little over three years old so I am not sure how much the Virginia has sweetened verses a new tin. I am not sure if Russ Ouellette is making this blend anymore for SHPC as I have not seen it available for a while. I hope it returns as I blew right through my only tin and because this a very good blend that appears to have been overlooked based on the total number of reviews.

Blended by Pipesandcigars.com for the Sherlock Holmes Pipe Club of Boston, this is a truly classic English mixture. Rich Virginias, sweet Orientals and a generous dose of Latakia are combined for a complex and balanced smoke, with no predominant leaf.

Great Hiatus competes with Old Dublin and Ashton Artisan's Blend as the paradigm of English mixtures. Enough said.

Great blend. The Orientals give it a sour yet sweet base that is more forward than in most lat. blends. I think that is a good thing. The lat is there but does not overpower the other players and the VA makes a nice base that for me is more felt then tasted if that makes sense. Well worth the price.

This has been my first choice English blend for several months. The latakia is prominent, the flavors come together well, I'd call the overall flavor "umami". The room note is pleasant to tolerable to me, but I'm certain a non-smoker would find it quite potent.

This blend grows on you. It wasn't until I tried it the second time that I really started to like the Great Hiatus. This was my first time with a true English blend as well as my first taste of Latakia. The flavor begins full and rich with a note of pepper (Latakia) on the first draw. Midway into the bowl the pepper flavor sweetens and mellows comfortably.

I can definitely imagine my self along side Dr. Watson and the esteemed Sherlock on a brisk adventure through the streets of London. What a fine blend this is!

Fairly new to english blends. Bought from pipes and cigars. Along with Billy Budd, Barking dog, Early Morning pipe, Larrys blend. But Great Hiatus steals the show. Superb smoke. Smooth, easy, Tasty...A must try. Fantastic room note. This is what pipe smoking is about.

I enjoy a wide range of tobacco types from time to time, but tend to gravitate toward the Latakia-Oriental-Perique blends more often than not. I recently bought a variety of premium tins to try out this winter, and added a tin of "Great Hiatus" to that list.

What a pleasant surprise! It lights fairly easily, stays lit once it's right, even when smoked at a very relaxed pace, and it is amazingly mellow on the tongue. It has perfect smoking manners. The room note (to my taste) is wonderful. The aroma and taste work perfectly together, and the taste is pretty much exquisite. It is deliciously spicy, with a variety of different flavors coming through, while not at all overwhelming.

Given the chance of a good day, or a lucky bowl entering the picture, I have smoked the entire tin over a few weeks, and I'm ordering a larger sized can of it pronto. It is delicious, and I swear I can sense a hint of Balsam fir in there somewhere.

Again, I have a number of favorite tobaccos rather than one or two "best" mixes, and each has it's place. Great Hiatus is a winner in a big way, and now, it has a place on my regular smoke list as well.

I first tried this as a sample at the 2010 Chicago Pipe Show. The next day I bought several tins. Since then I have twice ordered more. This is a great addition to my list of regular blends. I find it less powerful than some other Latakia/English blends, and, therefore, a great blend when I want something lighter than my usual heavy Latakia favorites. It lights, stays lit, and smokes very well. No moisture problems, and is quite consistent throughout the entire bowl. I will be keeping this in my regualr rotation of tobaccos.